PlainFoodAccess

County food-access profile · Wisconsin

Waupaca County, WI

Waupaca County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.

13.1%
low-access pop.
1
food-desert tracts
10.0%
on SNAP
52K
residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA 2019 Census ACS 2024 WI

The food-access picture

13.1% of Waupaca County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.

4
low-access tracts
2K
food-desert residents
5.9%
households, no vehicle
10.4%
below poverty line

Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA, 1-and-10-mile measure).

Waupaca County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 13.1% per the USDA Atlas. 4 of the county's 12 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 6,855 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,642 low-income residents.

How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts

The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.

How Waupaca County compares nationally

Waupaca County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 13.1% low-access share that beats 28% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,265).

lower low-accesshigher low-access

Waupaca County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown

All 12 census tracts in Waupaca County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).

Food access tier distribution for Waupaca County, WI USDA-defined food-access tiers: 8 census tracts adequate (within distance threshold), 3 limited, 1 severe (low-income low-access food desert). Total 12 tracts evaluated. 8 tracts adequate (66.7%) 3 tracts limited (25.0%) 1 tracts severe / food desert (8.3%) Adequate 67% Limited 25% Severe 8% Food-access tier distribution: Waupaca County, WI
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas 2019

Waupaca County vs. other Wisconsin counties

Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Wisconsin

% low-access
Source USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas As of 2019 edition

Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)

USDA Food Access Research Atlas 2019 indicators for Waupaca County
IndicatorValue
Census Tracts12
Atlas Population (2010 basis)52,410
Low-Access Tracts4
Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access)1
Low-Access Population6,855
Low-Access Share13.1%well below the national average
Low-Income & Low-Access Population1,642

Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)

Census ACS 2024 demographic and SNAP data for Waupaca County
IndicatorValue
Population51,569
Median Household Income$72,830
Poverty Rate10.4%below the national average
SNAP Households2,246
SNAP Participation Rate10.0%below the national average
Households Without a Vehicle5.9%below the national average
Group-Quarters Population2.4%
SNAP participation in Waupaca County 10.0%

About 10.0% of Waupaca County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).

What this means

  • 13.1% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
  • 10.0% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,246 households here.
  • 5.9% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
  • 1 tract meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).

USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).

What the food-access data shows for Waupaca County

near the national share

1 of Waupaca County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 8.3% of all its tracts.

A further 3 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 4.

An estimated 6,855 residents, roughly 13.1% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.

Of those, 1,642 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.

The remaining 8 tracts (66.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.

SNAP retailers in Waupaca County

Waupaca County has 43 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Combination Grocery/Other lead with 17 locations (40% of the total), followed by convenience store.

Combination Grocery/Other · 17

  • dollar general 18463, manawa
  • dollar general 16966, marion
  • dollar general 19772, waupaca
  • dollar general 20022, embarrass
  • dollar general 21656, fremont
  • dollar general 30935, bear creek
  • dollar general 31034, weyauwega
  • dollar general 6627, clintonville
  • dollar general 6639, new london
  • dollar general 6774, waupaca
  • dollar tree 5879, waupaca
  • dollar tree 7434, new london
  • family dollar store 7188, iola
  • the nutrition center, waupaca
  • walgreens 09699, waupaca
  • walgreens 11301, new london
  • walgreens 12983, clintonville

Convenience Store · 13

  • clinton gas and food, clintonville
  • clintonville mini mart, clintonville
  • kwik trip 625, waupaca
  • kwik trip 791, new london
  • kwik trip 884, clintonville
  • kwik trip 888, waupaca
  • northport mart 1, new london
  • northside bp, clintonville
  • reliance fuel llc, manawa
  • royalton station, new london
  • waupaca bp, waupaca
  • waupaca mart, waupaca
  • weyauwega bp, weyauwega

Super Store · 5

  • festival foods 49, new london
  • pick 'n save 6352, waupaca
  • piggly wiggly supermarket 311, waupaca
  • tadych's marketplace foods 2754, clintonville
  • walmart 1471, new london

Supermarket · 4

  • aldi 64035, waupaca
  • aldi 64090, new london
  • iola sentry foods, iola
  • manawa quality foods, manawa

Medium Grocery Store · 2

  • la constenia veracruzana, new london
  • weyauwega star dairy, weyauwega

Farmers' Market · 1

  • waupaca farm market, waupaca

Large Grocery Store · 1

  • new london star market, new london

Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.

Other Counties in Wisconsin

Adams County
9.9% low-access · 14.6% SNAP
Ashland County
28.5% low-access · 14.3% SNAP
Barron County
17.8% low-access · 11.5% SNAP
Bayfield County
30.2% low-access · 11.6% SNAP
Brown County
25.0% low-access · 10.5% SNAP
Buffalo County
23.3% low-access · 10.5% SNAP

Compare Waupaca County vs Adams County → · All Wisconsin counties →

Food access nationally, Wisconsin in context

Waupaca County sits inside Wisconsin (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.

AK 31 ME 13 VT 11 NH 28 WA 23 ID 26 MT 22 ND 29 MN 27 IL 20 WI 21 MI 23 NY 12 RI 24 MA 28 OR 17 NV 23 WY 30 SD 29 IA 20 IN 29 OH 25 PA 21 NJ 24 CT - CA 13 UT 24 CO 22 NE 22 MO 25 KY 20 WV 21 VA 20 MD 23 DE 27 AZ 27 NM 32 KS 26 AR 25 TN 27 NC 23 SC 29 DC 5 OK 25 LA 26 MS 26 AL 25 GA 31 HI 27 TX 25 FL 25

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context

Understand the Data

Frequently Asked Questions

What share of Waupaca County has low food access? ▼
13.1% of residents in Waupaca County, WI live in low-access areas, more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket, per the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019).
What is the SNAP participation rate in Waupaca County? ▼
10.0% of households in Waupaca County receive SNAP, covering 2,246 households (Census ACS 2024 5-year estimates).
What is the poverty rate in Waupaca County? ▼
The poverty rate in Waupaca County, WI is 10.4%, with a median household income of $72,830 (Census ACS 2024).
Is Waupaca County a food desert? ▼
1 of Waupaca County's 12 census tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access). Food deserts are designated at the tract level, so conditions can vary within the county.
What share of Waupaca County households lack a vehicle? ▼
5.9% of households in Waupaca County have no vehicle available (Census ACS 2024), which compounds any distance to a supermarket.
Data Sources & Methodology

USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs

Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →

Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).

Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.